1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a deterrent for preventing entrance of unauthorized personnel into the flight crew compartment or cockpit of an airplane.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Airplane hijackings are oftentimes accomplished by the hijacker being able to threaten passengers or flight attendants within the passenger compartment in order to coerce the flight crew personnel to fly the plane to the hijacker""s destination. Recent events indicate that hijackers now may seek to commandeer the plane and actually take the flight controls for the hijacker""s intended purpose by invading the flight crew compartment. It is therefore imperative that airliners be designed such that access to the flight crew area is denied to individuals having intent to harm the flight crew or commandeer the aircraft.
Various suggestions have been made regarding the strength and structural integrity of the flight crew compartment door, however, Applicant has devised an apparatus and means which would not only improve the denial of access to the flight crew compartment, but also provide for a means for isolation and immobilizing of any potential individual or hijacker seeking access to the flight crew compartment.
An object of the present invention is to provide for a novel deterrent to aircraft hijacking which would provide for a second flight crew compartment door and enclosure area wherein an unauthorized individual seeking to gain access to the flight crew compartment would be confined to an enclosed area and subject to immobilization by the flight crew personnel.
A further object of the present invention is to provide for a novel deterrent to aircraft hijacking which either is manually engaged or is automatically engaged by the motion of the aircraft.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide for a novel aircraft hijacking deterrent which is easily installed and does not interfere with the normal operation of an aircraft or the flight attendants.
An expandable/collapsible enclosure positioned about the existing door to a flight crew compartment of an airliner which is expanded either manually or automatically by the motion of the aircraft to form an airlock type enclosure about the door to the flight crew compartment, the enclosure having its own outer, secondary door controllable from the flight crew compartment, an individual seeking access to the flight crew compartment having to position themselves in front of the outer door and again within the enclosure for observation by the flight crew personnel before entering the flight crew compartment, the enclosure having chemical or gaseous means for immobilizing an individual not authorized to enter the enclosure or the flight crew compartment who may have overwhelmed the properly identified individual that was authorized to enter the enclosure.